ARRL Letter

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 21
May 27, 2005
***************
IN THIS EDITION:
* +Generating heat necessary to spur political action, forum told
* +BPL faces uncertainty, FCC staffer says at Hamvention
* +"Zero gravity" a misnomer, astronaut tells middle schoolers
* +ARRL optimistic about new Motorola BPL technology
* +FCC debuts e-news service
* +New Section Managers elected in New Hampshire, West Texas
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
Former ARRL staffer Vicky Armentano, SK
+Hurricane Watch Net, WX4NHC activate for early-season storm
New Mexico ARES ready for flood and fire
+Japan to relax Morse code licensing requirements
+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
===========================================================
==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================
==>DAYTON HAMVENTION: "GENERATE SOME HEAT" TO SPUR POLITICAL ACTION
Amateur Radio licensees need to start taking personal responsibility for
prodding politicians to pay attention to hot-button issues affecting the
service, a Dayton Hamvention forum heard May 20. ARRL Hudson Division
Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, told the League's Grassroots Lobbying Forum
that when it comes to Congress, individual radio amateurs can help shape
their own future.
"Political lobbying is something people don't really want to hear about,"
Fallon conceded. "But politics controls everything we get." Fallon used the
broadband over power line (BPL) proceeding as an example of how politics can
overcome logical, technical argument. Fallon heads up the League's nascent
grassroots lobbying initiative with assistance from Great Lakes Director Jim
Weaver, K8JE, and Northern New Jersey ARRL Section Manager Bill Hudzik,
W2UDT.
Fallon focused many of his remarks on a US House of Representatives
resolution, HRes 230, sponsored by Arkansas Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR, and
introduced earlier this year. The resolution calls on the FCC to "conduct a
full and complete analysis" of BPL radio interference potential
incorporating "extensive public review and comment," and--in light of that
analysis--to "reconsider and review" the BPL rules it adopted last October.
If approved by the full House, the non-binding resolution would express the
requests as "the sense of the House of Representatives."
The job at this point is to get cosponsors for the resolution and see it
pass the House, and that won't happen "unless we can generate some heat,"
Fallon said.
"So, if we are hanging out in the basement and doing nothing but building
rigs and working DX, we're going to be victims" of the political process,
Fallon told his audience. He explained that ARRL, as a nonprofit IRS Section
501(c)(3) organization, must adhere to strict limitations on its lobbying
activities. It cannot endorse political candidates or contribute to
political campaigns, he explained. "You can," he pointed out. "We can't."
Fallon said one way ARRL members can get vocal about legislative issues of
importance to Amateur Radio is to visit, write, e-mail or fax their US
representatives or US senators. "Your letters, e-mails and visits to
district offices give us entrťe to legislators in Washington," he said. "It
won't happen without your help." Personal visits to lawmakers at their
district offices, he said, help to "put a face on ham radio" for
politicians.
The focus of the ARRL Grassroots Lobbying initiative will be on measures
that deal with FCC matters, because Congress oversees the Commission.
Weaver told the gathering that grassroots lobbying is aimed at helping
Amateur Radio to fashion its own future. Hudzik reiterated the important of
personal involvement. "The more we're seen in a positive light, the easier
it will be," he concluded.
In the "ARRL Goes to Washington for You" forum that followed, ARRL President
Jim Haynie, W5JBP, continued in the same vein. Haynie debuted the ARRL's new
video, "ARRL Goes to Washington," narrated by network news legend Walter
Cronkite, KB2GSD.
The video--produced by Dave Bell, W6AQ, Alan Kaul, W6RCL, and Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, but not yet available--depicts the League's more recent
efforts in official Washington and on Capitol Hill to convey the importance
of Amateur Radio as a national resource. Haynie and other members of League
officialdom spend several weeks a year promoting visibility for Amateur
Radio and the ARRL's views--as indicated by its membership--on pending
legislation or FCC proceedings.
The video also makes the point that ordinary citizens must get involved and
orchestrate change by getting the attention of lawmakers confronted with
hundreds of constituent interests and issues.
"We've got to ratchet up our presence," Haynie said, urging more individual
amateur participation in the political process. Individual licensees also
are voters, and lawmakers are quite aware that there are radio amateurs in
their districts, he said.
Invitees to a reception May 19 honoring prominent League donors got a sneak
preview of the "ARRL Goes to Washington" video. The showing drew a hearty
round of applause and kudos to producers Bell, Kaul and Pasternak,who were
on hand for the occasion.
Reception guest speaker Tony England, W0ORE--the second person to use
Amateur Radio from space--told the more than 100 reception guests that the
US needs to boost interest in engineering, and he sees Amateur Radio as one
component in making that happen.
==>FCC STAFFER: BPL FACES UNCERTAINTY, TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL VIABILITY
ISSUES
FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau staff member Bill Cross, W3TN, told
the FCC Forum at Dayton Hamvention May 21 that "a lot of uncertainty"
surrounds BPL, including questions as to its technical and financial
viability and where, how and if it will fit into the communications future.
Cross works in the WTB's Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division,
and much of his work directly involves the Amateur Radio Service. Devoting
nearly a quarter of his remarks to the standing-room-only audience to BPL,
Cross discussed various aspects of the FCC's October 14, 2004, Report and
Order in ET Docket 04-37. The R&O established new Part 15 rules to implement
BPL systems. Cross said the Commission's expressed a lot of "potentials" and
"coulds" in outlining its rationale for promoting BPL as another competing
broadband pipeline.
"Whether BPL catches on will be a decision made by economics, both for those
who want to provide the service and consumers who have to decide it is
better for them than other broadband services," Cross said. He also said the
FCC recognizes BPL's potential to interfere with Amateur Radio and other
radio services.
"Also note that BPL is coming on the scene, at best, as the fifth player in
a field already crowded with heavy hitters," he said. "Currently we have
cable, satellite, non-satellite wireless broadband and telephone lines
available and providing broadband service." Cross said telephone companies
already are looking at installing fiber optic cable to the home to expand
available bandwidth for consumers. At the same time, he said, cable
companies "have been spending gazillions of dollars upgrading their systems
to digital systems so they can provide services other than traditional TV
service."
Citing the current heavy level of advertising and even price-cutting by
industry players for a bigger piece of a "fixed pot of dollars," Cross
asked, "Where does BPL fit in?" Cross said he didn't believe anyone was now
getting a barrage of offers for BPL-provided services. "Nor will we be
anytime soon, from what I have read in the communications press."
Cross pointed out that FCC Part 15 rules require that licensed radio
services such as Amateur Radio must be protected from harmful interference.
He also noted that the FCC was careful to carve out reservations and set
specific prohibitions regarding BPL deployment on certain parts of the
spectrum allocated to civil aviation users, in addition to imposing some
strict requirements to mitigate interference.
"You wonder, with all these restrictions--including some that prohibit BPL
deployment in what appear to be very profitable areas--a reasonable question
might be: Who would want to go into this business?"
The current tug of war, he said, is between the three or four companies
interested in BPL--who want less onerous restrictions--and the ARRL and
other users who don't believe the restrictions go far enough. Both sides
have filed petitions for reconsideration.
"Those petitions are pending, and whatever is decided on them will affect
the final rules for BPL and may very well affect its viability," Cross
concluded.
Regarding Amateur Radio proceedings now before the Commission, Cross was
unable to pin down for FCC Forum attendees when they might expect to see a
Notice of Proposed Rule Making in response to 18 petitions for rule making
filed by ARRL, other Amateur Radio organizations and individual licensees.
The primary hot-button issue in that proceeding is the future of the Morse
code requirement for access to HF amateur bands. The FCC also is considering
proposals to create a new entry-level license class and to implement some
additional Amateur Radio license restructuring, including automatic upgrades
from Technician to General and Advanced to Extra.
Cross said he anticipates the FCC will combine the 18 petitions into one
NPRM and invite another round of comments from the amateur community. "I
suspect the proposed rule making will be coming out in late summer or this
fall," Cross said. The comment period could extend into early 2006, he
added, after which a Report and Order would be written.
The amateur community also can expect a Report and Order as a follow-up to
its April 2004 NPRM in WT Docket 04-140, Cross said. The main proposal in
that proceeding--ARRL's so-called "Novice Refarming" plan--would eliminate
the Novice/Tech Plus CW bands and use that spectrum to expand portions of
the 80, 40 and 15 meter bands. Current Novice and Tech Plus licensees would
get CW privileges in the current General CW bands. Cross said commenters
generally seem to support the proposal, although he cited requests to
establish even wider phone bands, "particularly in the 75-meter band."
Among other issues, the FCC also has proposed in the same proceeding to
essentially do away with its rules prohibiting the manufacture and marketing
to Amateur Radio operators of amplifiers capable of operation on 12 and 10
meters.
==>NO "ZERO GRAVITY" ON SPACE STATION, ASTRONAUT TELLS YOUNGSTERS
A nephew of US Astronaut John Phillips, KE5DRY, was among the middle
schoolers who spoke with the International Space Station May 16 via Amateur
Radio. The contact with youngsters at Iroquois Middle School in Niskayuna,
New York, was arranged via the Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) program. Responding to one student's question--how does the
robotic arm function in zero gravity--Phillips took a moment to correct a
widely held misconception about the spacecraft's environment.
"There is gravity," Phillips explained. "That's what holds us in orbit, so
let's not use the term 'zero gravity.' A lot of people use it, but it's not
really right." In past ARISS contacts, other ISS crew members have described
it as "microgravity."
Phillips said the robotic Canadarm2 has to be really flexible, but it
doesn't have to be very strong. "It's not like a crane because it doesn't
have to lift heavy weights," he said, "because we're all just floating
together here in orbit." The force the robotic arm needs to move objects is
relatively small, but it must be very carefully controlled, he added.
The young questioners included Phillips's nephew Paul Manning. His sister
Julie was in the audience for the event. Paul asked about the types of
experiments under way on the ISS.
"Well, we're doing a lot of experiments in which we are the human guinea
pigs to see how our bodies react to being in space," Phillips told his
nephew. "We also observe the earth, and we do engineering and materials
research to see how materials behave in the conditions that we can create
only here in orbit."
In response to the often-asked "food question," Phillips pointed out that
there's no refrigerator on board to keep things cold. "And contrary to what
you may have heard, there is no ice cream in space," he added.
Phillips said reaching Mars is a goal of the human space flight program, but
just how or when it will happen remain open questions. "And the idea of
actually settling on Mars for a long-term stay, that's a long, long time
away, in my opinion," he added. The crew's current mission, he explained, is
to carry out scientific experiments and to "extend the human presence in
space."
Serving as the Earth station control operator was ARISS veteran Tony
Hutchison, VK5ZAI, in South Australia. An MCI-donated teleconferencing link
provided two-way audio from the ham radio contact with NA1SS to the school.
ARISS is an educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and
NASA.
==>ARRL ENCOURAGED BY NEW MOTOROLA BPL TECHNOLOGY
The ARRL this week said it was encouraged to learn of Motorola's
just-announced Powerline LV system--a BPL system that takes radio
interference concerns into consideration from the outset. The Powerline LV
system avoids using medium-voltage power lines and introduces broadband
signals only on the low-voltage side of the power transformer, greatly
reducing the system's radio interference potential.
"We know that medium-voltage power lines are no place for broadband energy,
since there is overwhelming technical evidence that radio interference from
BPL is unavoidable if MV lines are used," said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ.
"By confining their Access BPL system to low-voltage lines and by adding
hardware notch filters for additional protection to Amateur Radio frequency
allocations, Motorola has addressed our interference concerns."
Sumner explained this week that until Motorola Powerline LV came along,
opposing BPL and opposing BPL interference were essentially one and the
same. During product development, Motorola invited ARRL's suggestions and
welcomed its input. Sumner said he hopes other BPL system providers now will
see the benefit of cooperating with the ARRL that Motorola is now enjoying.
"However, we can and should remain critical of the FCC's Report and Order,
which makes no effort to distinguish between good and bad ways of pursuing
BPL," he added.
Sumner says the League is looking forward to seeing the first Powerline LV
system in operation. The ARRL will continue to work with Motorola "to ensure
that their new product is indeed the first BPL system that is a solution,
not a problem," he said.
There's more information about Motorola's Powerline LV system on the
company's Web site
<http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detailpf/0,,5519_5509_23,00.html>.
==>FCC LAUNCHES NEW SERVICE TO DELIVER CUSTOMIZED E-NEWS
The FCC Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) is launching the
Consumer Information Registry, an expanded and improved e-mail service that
will deliver customized information about the FCC's actions and related
developments in telecommunications and other communications services.
"The Registry is an Internet database that can be customized to deliver
information on whatever topics the subscriber chooses," the FCC said in a
news release this week. Among the many choices are "Amateur Radio and
Related Interests" and "Ham Radio." The topic checklist also includes
Broadcast TV and Cable TV, but subscribers can also specify topics not on
the list.
Acting CGB Chief Monica Desai says the FCC is "delighted to be able to offer
this valuable tool to everyone interested in communications issues." She
says FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin has expressed an interest in ensuring that
consumers continue to enjoy the benefits of the best communications system
in the world. "I believe the Consumer Information Registry has the potential
to play an important role in achieving that goal," she added.
The sign-up information is on the FCC CGB Web site
<http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/contacts/>. Subscribers will be asked to indicate
the subjects on which they wish to receive information. The service is free,
and subscribers may unsubscribe at any time.--FCC
==>MEMBERS PICK NEW SECTION MANAGERS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, WEST TEXAS
New Hampshire and West Texas will have new Section Managers starting this
summer. Ballots in the two contested seats were counted and verified this
week at ARRL Headquarters.
In New Hampshire, Sterling Eanes, AK1K, of Manchester topped Russ Santos,
K1TSV, of Milford by a vote of 333 to 200. An ARRL Life Member, Eanes has
been active in the Nashua Area Radio Club where he has served as its
chairman. He also helps run both local and statewide training courses and
exercises and helps as an on-line mentor for the ARRL Emergency
Communications Course. He's been licensed since 1962.
Eanes will succeed Al Shuman, N1FIK, who chose not to seek another term
after serving since October 2000. Shuman also was SM from December 1992
until June 1999.
In West Texas, Bill Lawless, W5WRL, of Midland outpolled Ricky Dean, AA5AW,
of Borger, 229 to 67 votes. A radio amateur since the mid-1970s, Lawless has
been an Assistant SM since August 2004 and has been active in BPL issues in
Texas. He has served as club president for the Key City Amateur Radio Club
and as secretary/treasurer for the Permian Basin Amateur Radio Club. He's
also a Frequency Coordinator for the Texas VHF FM Society.
Lawless will take over the SM post from John Dyer, AE5B, who did not seek
another term. Dyer has served as West Texas SM since October 2002.
Six sitting ARRL Section Managers faced no opposition in the current
election cycle and were declared elected for new terms. They are Tom
Abernethy, W3TOM, Maryland-DC; Bob Beaudet, W1YRC, Rhode Island; Dick
Flanagan, K7VC, Nevada; Bill Hudzik, W2UDT, Northern New Jersey; Charles
McConnell, W6DPD, San Joaquin Valley, and Mel Parkes, AC7CP, Utah.
Two year terms for successful SM candidates begin July 1.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Heliophile Tad "Sunshine Superman" Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:
Solar and geomagnetic numbers for the past week were lower. All days were
quiet except for Friday, May 20, when mid-latitude K and A indices indicated
unsettled geomagnetic conditions, and planetary numbers indicated a
geomagnetic storm.
Average daily sunspot numbers this week were down more than 39 points to
36.6. The average daily solar flux dropped by more than 19 points to 83.5.
A solar wind stream from a coronal hole is expected to affect Earth Friday
and Saturday, May 27 and 28. Predicted planetary A index for May 27-30 is
10, 20, 20 and 12. Solar flux is expected to rise slowly, reaching 100
around May 29 and peaking around 105 around June 3 and again on June 7-10.
None of this should have a major negative effect on the CQ World Wide WPX CW
Contest this weekend.
Sunspot numbers for May 12 through 18 were 110, 100, 91, 69, 70, 45 and 46,
with a mean of 75.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 117.4, 125.9, 99.5, 103, 99.1, 90
and 83.8, with a mean of 102.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 17, 27,
8, 105, 33, 19 and 13, with a mean of 31.7. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 13, 21, 4, 44, 18, 10 and 6, with a mean of 16.6.
Sunspot numbers for May 19 through 25 were 34, 22, 37, 42, 36, 40 and 45,
with a mean of 36.6. The 10.7 cm flux was 84.7, 83.5, 81.9, 82.1, 83.4, 85.2
and 83.8, with a mean of 83.5. Estimated planetary A indices were 11, 30,
21, 14, 7, 5 and 6, with a mean of 13.4. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 7, 17, 13, 10, 5, 2 and 2, with a mean of 8.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The CQ WW WPX Contest (CW) and the ARCI Hootowl
Sprint are the weekend of May 28-29. The Michigan QRP Memorial Day CW Sprint
is May 30 (starting May 29 in US time zones). JUST AHEAD: The
VK/Trans-Tasman 80-Meter Contest (CW), the IARU Region 1 Field Day (CW), the
RSGB National Field Day, the QRP TAC Sprint and the Worldradio Friends' Day
QSO Party are the weekend of June 4-5. The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship
(Data) is June 6. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.
* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the ARRL RFI (EC-006) and Antenna Design and Construction
(EC-009) and Analog Electronics (EC-013) courses remains open through
Sunday, May 29. Classes begin Friday, June 10. Antenna Design and
Construction students will, among other things, learn about basic dipoles
and ground planes, and how to assemble combinations of these into more
complex antennas. Students also learn about transmission lines, standing
wave ratio, phased arrays and Yagis. Students participating in the RFI
course will learn to identify various interference sources. Analog students
will learn about the use of instrumentation, Kirchhoff's Laws, diodes,
rectifier circuits, bipolar and field effect transistors, various amplifier
configurations, filters, timers, op-amps, and voltage regulators. To learn
more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce> or contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education Program Department cce@arrl.org.
* ARRL Headquarters to be closed for Memorial Day: ARRL Headquarters will be
closed Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day. There will be no W1AW
code practice or bulletin transmissions that day. ARRL Headquarters will
reopen Tuesday, May 31, at 8 AM EDT. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable
holiday weekend!
* Former ARRL staffer Vicky Armentano, SK: Former ARRL Headquarters staff
member Victoria "Vicky" Armentano of Newington, Connecticut, died May 15.
She was 79. Armentano began her 21 years of ARRL service in 1977 in the
former Club and Training Department, where she helped support volunteer
instructors and ARRL-Affiliated clubs. After an ARRL reorganization, she
worked in the former ARRL Field Services Department, where she became solely
responsible for clubs and the newer Special Service Clubs. Armentano retired
in 1998, shortly after the Field Services and Educational Activities
departments merged into Field & Educational Services. "Many ARRL members who
held the responsibility of Affiliated Club Coordinator remember Vicky well,"
says ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO. "She
cared about her work with the clubs and volunteer instructors and developed
personal relationships with many Affiliated Club coordinators and presidents
of the Special Service Clubs and affiliated clubs." Armentano's survivors
include her daughter Gail Iannone, an ARRL Field and Educational Services
staff member, and a son, Ben. A service was held May 19. The family invites
memorial contributions to St Mary's Church, 505 Willard Ave, Newington, CT
06111 or to the American Diabetes Association, 300 Research Pkwy, Meriden,
CT 06450.
* Hurricane Watch Net, WX4NHC activate for early-season storm: The Hurricane
Watch Net (HWN) on 14.325 MHz and Amateur Radio Station WX4NHC at the
National Hurricane Center activated May 19 as Tropical Storm Adrian
approached the Pacific Coast of Central America. Eventually gaining
hurricane strength, Adrian raked El Salvador before crossing over the
isthmus into the Caribbean. Adrian was the first named storm of the 2005
hurricane season, which does not officially begin until June 1. HWN Manager
Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, said the net stood down after 15 hours of operation.
"Many thanks to all of you who helped to route interested parties to our net
frequency and otherwise provided your silent support while we performed our
duties," he added. The HWN and WX4NHC work hand-in-hand to gather and
disseminate ground-level observed and/or measured weather data from radio
amateurs and weather watchers within a storm's path. The information
collected helps National Hurricane Center forecasters to better predict a
given storm's behavior. The storm left two people dead in a mudslide in
Guatemala. Flooding and additional mudslides prompted by heavy rains were
considered continuing dangers in Adrian's wake. Adrian made landfall early
May 20 in El Salvador where more than 20,000 evacuees reportedly took refuge
in emergency shelters. There was some wind damage in the capital city of San
Salvador as well as in other localities.
* New Mexico ARES ready for flood and fire: With melting snow threatening to
flood northern New Mexico and early-season forest fires breaking out, this
spring and summer promise to be busy for New Mexico Amateur Radio Emergency
Service members. Just this week, a radio amateur driving outside Los Alamos
reported smoke and fire near the Valle Calderas. Sandoval County ARES
District Emergency Coordinator Mike Scales, K5SCA, announced on the Sandoval
County ARES (SCARES) repeater that a second fire has broken out near Regina,
while a third fire is burning in Rio Arriba County. All of these fires are
in remote locations. With all rivers in New Mexico experiencing
above-average water flow, flooding remains a concern. Taos, San Juan, Rio
Arriba, and San Miguel Counties were reported under a flash flood watch due
to present snow pack melt conditions. Residents in Questa are sandbagging
their homes in an effort to keep overflowing waters from encroaching on
their homes. Local emergency managers are keeping an eye on river flow and
are expecting a continued rise in levels throughout the week. ARES teams in
Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos are on standby should conditions warrant
an evacuation and to provide necessary communication support. In a typical
situation, ARES members would deploy to emergency operations and Red Cross
evacuation centers as well as to emergency command posts in the field.
* Japan to relax Morse code licensing requirements: The Japan Ministry of
Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) took action May 24 to relax Morse
code requirements for Amateur Radio licensing, but it did not eliminate them
altogether. Effective October 1, 2005, the MIC will reduce the requirements
for First and Second class licenses to 5 WPM--solid copy for two minutes.
The previous code requirements for these licenses were 12 and 9 WPM
respectively. The MIC will drop the Morse requirement, now 5 WPM, for the
Third class license.--submitted by Joe Speroni, AH0A
===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
<http://www.arrl.org/>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP, President.
The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest
to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise,
and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest news,
updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> offers
access to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast"
compiled from The ARRL Letter.
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to
The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org/>
==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
860-594-0384
==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail
delivery:
ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
<http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during
registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW
bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the "Member
Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify membership
data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail
address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent
email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then, click on "Submit
modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff members cannot
change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself via the
Members Only Web Site.)
The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
sources:
* ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will be
posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)
* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net
<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)

The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that is available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise and readable.

Much of the ARRL¬†Letter content is also available in audio form in ARRL¬†Audio News.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.

Back issues published since 2000 are available on this page. If you wish to subscribe via e-mail, simply log on to the ARRL Web site, click on Edit Your Profile at the top, then click on Edit Email Subscriptions. Check the box next to The ARRL email newsletter, the ARRL Letter and you will receive each weekly issue in HTML format. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Plain-Text

The ARRL E-Letter e-mail is also available in plain-text version:

Outlook Express

1. From the Inbox view, select the Tools menu and the Options selection.

2. Click the Read tab

3. Check the Read All Messages In Plain Text box.¬† When you open the e-mail, it will be in plain text without images. Other e-mail programs may be able to make a Mail Rule for e-mail received from the address memberlist@www.arrl.org so that the plain-text-only display is selected automatically.

Outlook 2007

Use the same procedure as for Outlook Express, although the global option is under "Tools/Trust Center/E-mail Security".

Use the "Message text garbled?" link in the drop-down menu at the upper right of the displayed message block. pine, alpine Set "prefer-plain-text" in your ~/.pinerc configuration file: feature-list=..., prefer-plain-text, ...